Chester market celebrates late night opening success

A trial late opening of the market hall is likely to be extended after 100s of people visited last Friday night .Rapidly gaining a reputation as an independent food hub with cuisine from all over the world, the late night served as a launch for That Beer Place and a chance for visitors to try out Caribbean themed Jeffro’s Wingz and Tingz, which will be opening soon. Diners and drinkers packed out the new food court area and also enjoyed live music.

That Beer Place opening night

With the proposed new market planned to open much later into the evenings, Friday night was a look at what might be in the future, with the market hall, previously maligned as “dying” now a hub of activity and positive vibes. Chester market management commented that the night was a “huge success” and that “all the food traders stayed open late and it was a family atmosphere, with a new demographic coming in. Customers have been asking if we will be opening every Friday because its what Chester needs. We had just under 400 people coming in and out on the night. We will definitely be doing it again .”

Stuart Fenney, owner of Nice Bites who joined the market back in 2016 enthused that the night was “absolutely amazing. It was like a rebirth ! Street food was going mad and it was a really happy atmosphere.”

Lisa Lord of That Beer Place was overwhelmed by the success of the evening , with the new bar and taproom experiencing queues of the door. ” We didn’t know how busy it was in the centre of the market until we went on social media afterwards. More late nights please!”

Another of the market’s shining stars, award winning pizza chef Guido Giacomo of Stile Napoletano echoed the positive vibes saying that he had never seen the market so busy and that he sold out of pizza on the night and had to turn customers away.

Many commented on the relaxed atmosphere in the market , as well as giving people who normally wouldn’t be able to visit in the day the chance to enjoy the new food stalls. It was fantastic to feel part of such a positive vibe a year on from a series of depressing stall closures which had left the market feeling empty and sad.

Details on future late night openings are expected to be announced soon.